The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-04-22
The BEVERLY DOODLE.
INVESTIGATION OF SENATOR sLAT'
TERYS CHARGES OF BRIBERY.
5000 THE PRICE OFFERED FOR MAS.
sACHUsETTs LEGISLATORS.

A Bribe Accepted for the Purpose Of Sc
curing Evidence Against the People
Who Were Working to Bring About
the Division of Beverly.
BosToN, April 19.-The special commit
tee of the senate met to investigate the
charges of Senator Slattery, of Middlesex,
as to attempted bribery and the use of un-
fair means to secure the passage of the bill
to incorporate the town of Beverly
Farms The committee were all pres
ent, as follows: Senators Hartwell, Of
Worcester, Alger, of Middlesex, Forbes, of
Worcester, Reed, of Bristol, and
Wilbur, of Suffolk. The counsel
present were: For Beverly, Samuel
Hoar, N. s. Myrick and D. N. Quill;
for Senator Slattery, ex-KepresentativeP P. j.
Doherty. A large number of the senators
were present, and quite a number Of repre-
sentatves.
BosToN April 10.-The first witness in
support of Mr.. Slatterv was Michael F.
Maher whose evidence implicated Jesse
Pierce. member of the division committee
for Beverly Farms, as having attempted to
secure Senator Slattery's vote by corrupt
means. Mr.. Maher, being desirous Of show
ing up the would-be corrupters, offered to
act as the go-between He received from
Peirce payment of 500 for the senator's
vote, with the promise Of 500 more when
the vote was delivered.
A notable passage in Mr.. Maher's evi-
denca was that where he led the Beverly
Farms man into saying that "no member Of
the house got over 500, and the majority
for Mr.
Nicer returned the money, with the infor-
nation that Senator Slattery could not be
bought nor used.
division committee, Mr.. Hardy, though he
had had charge of funds raised for securing
the division, admitted that he had kept no
accounts whatever of money received or ex
pended. He estimated the amounts he had
received at about $4,000; additional
amounts had been raised by other parties,
but no man on earth could tell how much,
all told, he said. He admitted authorizing
the payment of the 500 to Mr.. .Maher by
Mr.. Peirce, though denying knowledge of
the purpose, and stated that very large
lobby had been employed.
Boston, April 2O.-The Beverly Farms
investigation was continued at the state
the committee on the division of Beverly or
ganized at Yeung's hotel. The witness did
not circulate subscription paper. He
acted as treasurer and received about $18,-
600. He paid about $l5, 900 of this in va
rious sums to Fred H. Williams, the counsel
for the committee. No money was paid by
witness in any other way. The other mem
bers Of the committee were John T. Morse,
Jr., Martin Brimmer, Frederick Dexter,
Arthur B. Silsby and Alexander Cochrane
Witness gave no instructions to Mr. Will
Jams except that the money should not be
used for any form of bribery or corruption.
He did this because some of the money was
subscribed under these restrictions.
Fred II. Williams testified that he was
employed by the persons desiring the divi-
sion of Beverly. He was employed for the
same purpose last year. He received re-
tainer last fall: it was before the election.
He began to work Immediately after the
election. He received the first money in
October; the last payment was ten days or
a fortnight ago. His accounts show that he
received $13, 200. The money was deposited
in his private accounts and was intermingled
with his own accounts. Most payments
were made by checks. The money was re-
ceived in the form of checks from Gen.
Pearson. There was also check for $500
from Charles F. Preston, the treasurer of
the local committee.
Williams said that he had paid out about
$40, 600 in ALL It was never represented to
him that the money paid to Mr.. Peirce was
to be used to influence any member of the
senate.
Charles F. Preston testified that he was
treasurer of the local fund of the Beverly
Farms people. He received nearly $1,000,
paid about $500 to Mr.. Williams, expended
about $500 himself, and had 5000 remain
ing. The money was all expended at
Beverly Farms
Dennis W. Quill testified: was employed
as counsel to oppose the division of the
town of Beverly; last year there was COM
mittee of twenty; this year it was enlarged
to seventy, l think; John l. Baker was the
chairman, Robert Endicott was the treas
urer and was the secretary; the manage
ment was in tie hands of an executive com
mittee of five or six, of which Baker, Nor
wood and Ode!l were, think, members; I
think l was a member myself; l heard the
treasurer say last night that between $1,000
and $500 was raised by the COMMITTEES: !
have no personal knowledge of how it was
raised; | had the expenditure of $3.50; did
not use any money and do not know OF any
money being used by the committee in I'M
influencing the action of senators.
TRAGEDY IN AN INSANE ASYLUM.
Homicide the Result of Overcrowding |
at Cranston, II. /.
PROVIDENCE, r. l., April 1S.--Charles |
A. Wallace 23, patient in the insane de-
partment Of the state institution at Cranston |
has made an incoherent statement indicat- |